


I should be fine - but I'm not

by Pearlislove



Series: Seraphina Picquery/Percival Graves Family series [4]
Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Unplanned Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-17
Updated: 2017-01-17
Packaged: 2018-09-18 04:40:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,511
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9368285
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pearlislove/pseuds/Pearlislove
Summary: “I should be fine.” This time she is not sure of herself, and there are fresh tears rolling down her cheeks. She is scared, more than anything, because what does she know of being a mother? Nothing. Nothing at all.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place before 'Babies, bosses and sunday-wake up calls', and before the first fantastic beast movie (1924-1925 somewhere)

“Oh...oh...ugh!” Seraphina couldn’t help her misery, bending over the toilet and throwing up her mostly undigested breakfast. She hadn’t even made it to her office at the seventh floor, this time, but had to ask the elevator goblin to drop her off as soon as he could, immediately making a beeline for the bathroom.

 

Seraphina really, really hoped no one would take notice of her, even though it felt as though the sound of her retching echoed in the cramped bathroom outside the toilet stalls, available for anyone and everyone who walked in to hear.

 

Thinking that she was finally done with throwing up, she tried to stand up, only to feel her swollen belly cramping, searing pain shooting up her body and sending her back to the floor, crashing down close to the toilet bowl. Exhausted and ready to give up though the day had hardly begun, she couldn’t help the sob that escaped her. She was so frightened, every time her stomach cramped and pained her, thinking she was going to lose the baby. Between having Seraphina herself and her little sister, her mother had lost three babies, and it almost killed her. Seraphina greatly feared going down the same road.

 

It was weird, how much anguish and worry and happiness she could deprive form something that had never been meant to be. She was three months pregnant at this point, and though she and Percival had never been happier, she couldn’t help but feel quite hopeless at the thought of another six equally exhausting and rough months before the baby was born. If she carried to term, that was. Not to mention that she hadn’t even figured out what she was going to do when she started to show for real and could no longer hide her predicament, either.

 

The concept of female presidents were old and well accepted enough, dating back to MACUSAs third president Charity Wilkinson, but the concept of them having children, though not unheard of, was something many had a hard time coming to terms with every time it happened, and therefor she feared what would happen when she was forced to admit to being pregnant. It was sure to be a holy mess if there ever was one.

 

“Excuse me, you’ve been in there a long time, are you alright?” A sweet, light hearted voice was heard from the other side of the door, and Seraphina looked up, suddenly aware that she’d broken down completely and was crying loudly. Quickly, she tried to dry up her tears, but no words would pass her lips. “Please, answer me if your alright.” The voice sounded very worried, and Seraphina wondered how long she’d actually been in there, if the lack of response alone was enough to worry the other woman.

 

What she didn’t dare to think about, was how many meetings and booked appointments she’d missed already as she stayed locked up in a toilet stall crying over things that were beyond her power to change. 

 

It was something new for her, to see things that she between her near infinite power and cunning mind could not change. She wasn’t sure she liked it at all.

 

Finally, she took a big gulp of air, preparing herself to try answer the poor woman who decided to worry about an unknown persons in the workplace  bathroom. “I’m fine. You...you just go back to your work.” She said, trying to keep her voice steady so the woman would think she was actually okay and go away. She had no idea who she was, didn’t even know what floor she was on, but she felt the girl was too nice for her own good. “I promise I’m fine.”

 

“You don’t sound find to me. Are you sick? I promise if you open the door I’ll help you. I can even make you some coffee.” The girl stayed where she was, stretching a milky white hand in under the door to offer to her, most likely intended as some kind of comfort when Seraphina still didn’t open the door. Seraphina, feeling tired and both ready to cry and throw up again, grabbed it without thinking, squeezing it hard. It was warm and soft and felt  very comforting to someone who had never had much of that.

 

“I should be fine.” This time she is not sure of herself, and there are fresh tears rolling down her cheeks. She is scared, more than anything, because what does she know of being a mother? Nothing. Nothing at all. Neither she nor Percival knew anything and they just had six months to prepare before there’d be a screaming, attention demanding baby in their house that neither of them could care for. Her hands sought out her still quite flat abdomen and squeezed it. “But I don’t feel fine.”

 

“You’re going to be a great mother, you know. No one’s ready at first, but you will be. I promise.” There was pause filled with heavy silence, and Seraphina could feel her breathing picking up speed. How could this random possibly know she was pregnant? She shouldn't, she really shouldn't. There was no way she could have guessed that. And furthermore, how would she have known it scared her? It was impossible.  “Besides, you looked after your little sister, right? Or maybe it’s a cousin. Either way, that’s some experience.”

 

Seraphina thought she was going to have a panic attack at this point. her breathing was rapid and her heart was pounding in her chest, her mind overtaken by sudden shock as the girl spilled details from her life she hadn’t ever shared with anyone before. It scared her. Oh, it scared her beyond belief because she knew, she knew that if this girl could find out this information then she could find anything and everything else she was hiding.

 

She could find out she was the president of MACUSA and that she was having an affair, no, a romance with one of her employees.

 

“I can’t actually see much. You’re good at Occlumency, I can only see a little. You must be pretty upset if it slipped through. Besides, I don’t do it by intention, I...I am a natural Legilimens, I can’t help it.” 

 

The girl sounded guilty, embarrassed even, and suddenly Seraphina couldn’t help but laugh. Of all people in the world, this girl just so happened to be her very opposite, as she was a natural Occlumency herself. What were the odds that these two  meet like this? She still hadn’t let go of the girl's arm from under the door, and squeezed it. “I’m a natural Occlumency, as it just so happens, so I believe it’s okay.” She smiled even though she knew the other girl couldn’t see it and could almost feel the other girl doing the same.

 

The other girl laughed, too. “Hey, now you sound much happier. And I’m glad you're not mad at me for looking into your mind by accident. I meant what I said, though, you’ll make a great mom.”

 

Suddenly, Seraphina’s smile disappear as she once more came to think of why she was hiding out in the bathroom to begin with. Furthermore, now that her morning sickness passed, she felt a need to leave the toilet and get to work - who knows how long she’d been in there, but she couldn’t do it while the girl was on the other side. “D...do you know who I am?” She realised the girl had seen her mind, so she might as well know who she was. Or she didn’t, and in that case it needed to remain that way

 

There’s another long, heavy silence that fills up the air between them, pushing down on Seraphina like a weight physically put on her chest. Once again, she finds herself wondering what time it is, and how many worried aurors would be swarming her office by the time she got there and; just a little, who the girl was.

 

“I’m going to go. Please take care, it's all going to be fine.” She hear the sound of the girl getting up, and suddenly realise that she’s left, meaning that it was free for her to exit.

 

Painstakingly slow, she get to her feet, and she wondered if the girl had actually figured out who she was. She guessed yes, seeing as the girl refused an answer and left. She probably feared that if they met face to face she’d get fired for seeing the other woman in this state.

 

This way, they could both forget it all.

 

Not that Seraphina wanted to. The girl, being able to read  some fleeting emotions from her well-guarded mind, had given comfort in a way no one else, not even Percival, had been able to give so far. She had understood, and as opposed to Percival she didn’t have fears of her own concerning the situation, and could just focus on Seraphina.

 

Seraphina smiled, suddenly feeling a little more ready to face the next six months.


End file.
